Would be happy if woman becomes Rajya Sabha deputy chairman: Vandana Chavan

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Member of Parliament Vandana Chavan is likely to be the opposition candidate in the election for the post of deputy chairperson of Rajya Sabha. 

After a second round of meeting today, the Opposition concluded that Chavan would be able to get the support of all opposition parties and even a few of NDA allies.

"Though we would again meet but it's almost finalised that Chavan of NCP would be the Opposition candidate," a senior opposition party leader said.

Chavan on Tuesday also said that she would be happy if a woman is elected for the post.

Speaking to ANI, Chavan said, "I would be very happy if any woman is elected as Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha, but nothing has been decided yet. Opposition meetings are going on, we should wait."

The post of the deputy chairman has been lying vacant since June 2018 after the retirement of Congress leader PJ Kurien. At the farewell of Kurien, Rajya Sabha Chairman and Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu had urged the ruling and opposition parties to find a suitable replacement for the post.

Chavan, whose name was proposed by Bahujan Samaj Party leader Satish Chandra Mishra and seconded by TMC leader Derek O'Brien, received every opposition party's support, including the Congress.

Congress, the largest opposition party with 50 seats in the upper house, feels its candidate may face strong resistance from some parties such as the TDP, which has decided to side with the Opposition camp on this matter.

Meanwhile, the BJP-ruled NDA picked Janata Dal-United MP Harivansh Narayan Singh for the post whose election is slated for August 9. Monsoon Session ends a day after the polls.